Follow up to our Anime News Network Interview

We sat down with Anime News Network recently to talk about the Kamisama Kiss Goddess Edition, FUNimation’s first Premium Edition release. In the interview, we talk about why we decided to use Kamisama Kiss as our first title for this type of configuration, and why simulcasts numbers are so important. Click here to read the entire interview.

Since the interview was published, we’ve been reading some of the comments posted by fans, and we wanted to answer a few questions for you. So, we went to our Acquisitions Team to get the low down.

Why do simulcast views matter so much?

There are several reasons:

1) We have to make decisions very early on regarding whether a title is a viable pick up for home video release, and then what type of home video release to produce so that we can get it on the market as quickly as possible. Fans want things released quickly and so do we. If we waited until months after a simulcast finishes airing to make these decisions then the release would take much longer to reach the market–which is something no one wants.

While simulcast views are only one of many metrics we use to track the performance and popularity of a brand it is a very important and valuable one. As an example, Hollywood pays careful attention to ratings (which simulcast views are similar to) when evaluating a show’s popularity.

2) We aren’t the only ones paying attention to simulcast performance. Japanese licensors review simulcast view performance and consider it a metric of a brand’s success. Also, our business partners who manufacture merchandise want to know which brands are the most successful on simulcast etc.

3) Think of a simulcast like it’s broadcast TV. Ratings are most important when a show is broadcasting a new season. Due to similar issues we deal with, business decisions must be made based on how well a show performed during its initial broadcast. Ratings and views of reruns/syndication are also good, but are less impactful to the brand and its chances of getting renewed.

Are simulcasts a valid metric to measure brand popularity?

(This question was raised by Echo_City in the Anime News Network forum. You can read the full comment here.)

In the analysis we have done of past seasons, the simulcast view performance of a brand is one of the single best indicators of how well the home video will sell.

Will there be exceptions and outliers? Of course there will be. However, much more often than not, if way more people watch something like Attack on Titan/Psycho Pass/Kamisama Kiss that means it will sell more home video units than a brand that had far less simulcast views.

When should I watch a simulcast to best support the brand? Does it have to be within 24 hours of a new episode going live?

The time when views most help a brand are during its initial simulcast run. For a 13 episode series the time when your views have the most positive impact is the time from when episode one goes live to the week after episode 13 goes live (seven days from the posting of the last episode). While watching an episode within 24 hours of it being posted is great, as long as you watch during the simulcast run of the season it really doesn’t matter when.

After all of the episodes of a show’s season finish airing, it morphs from a “simulcast” into a “regular” streaming brand since there are no new episodes coming out until a possible future season. In other words, it ceases to be a “simulcast” after it finishes airing new episodes. To most impact decisions made about that brand’s future, views during the simulcast matter most.

How can I most help a brand I like if I prefer to binge an entire season at once?

The best way to support a brand’s simulcast if you are a streaming “binger” is to binge it right before the last episode airs or during the 7-day period after the last episode goes live. If you do this then your binge view of each episode will count toward the final simulcast view tally for that brand.

When we look at final performance of a brand’s simulcast we look at “life to date” view counts for every episode on the season from the date the first episode went live to seven days after the last episode went live. This will constitute its “simulcast period” for our planning purposes.

How else can I help FUNimation and brands besides just watching simulcasts?

So the simulcast viewing figures still count up until one week after the final episode is posted. That means people who watch the simulcasts without an EVS and thus have to wait one week for each episodes, their views still count towards a potential home release, correct?

One thing I’ve always wondered, are views on Funimation’s own video player/website the only views that “count” or do you guys also look at the numbers for people who watch on hulu? (I have a lot of trouble getting the player to work on funimation so I usually wait until they’re up on hulu and I really hope this isn’t “not helping, not hurting” the shows I like).

Funi has alot of videos on Hulu form what I understand so the answer should be yes. But remeber the counts they are looking at are on new shows they got for simulcast or new to their library, like Ben-to!. As the new eps of these shows get added, they are looking to see how well they are performing. *how many views they are getting*

Trust me I have, I was just told “remove every single one of your ads on for Chrome in order to make the videos play” which felt like a rather extreme situation, watching on hulu is way simpler than that. And thanks for confirming that the views on hulu count!

After reading all the ways to help funimatin on simucast, it stills seems apparant theres still no way for you to gauge the majority of your market that watches dubs. Really suxs that you guys cant find a better way for the other half of the market to support a show. I keep asking the questions and you never have a answer. It amazes me because I buy alot from you guys and yet I still have no voice.

If thats the case sterling, why dont they just let people vote good or bad. Why even go through the trouble of going through 330 minutes of watching, if people aint even watching it and cut to the chase with a simple vote of good or bad?

Viewing figures are much more accurate than a voting system. Firefly was a critically acclaimed and much loved TV show but it wasn’t watched by enough people so Fox cancelled it. No matter how many people like it, if they don’t watch it, why would FUNimation risk money licensing it? Lots of people seem to like Case Closed but since it didn’t sell, it was dropped. You want a show licensed, you have to put in the legwork and actually watch it and support it.

Yeah viewing figures from people who probably arent even watching the show subbed, is definitly the most accurate way. Im sure funimations 80% plus dub buying/viewing audiance are all doing that, because everyone has nothing better to do with thier time. Are you outta mind? Is this some sort of fad where someone says something, it must be true? Yeah maybe some people like yourself who have nothing better to do can do that, but most people got better things to do like work/school/vacations/meetings/etc dont have the luxury of doing that. Also just because people watched it subbed doesnt gaurentee that it was any good or that they will buy it, most people watch something and just move on without purchase. Everything is gamble and there is no redusing the gamble unless funimatin decides to figure out, who exactly is thier real buying crowd. All Im asking for is a chance to toss my vote into the gamble of what I would actually like to buy.

I loved case closed myself, but it was never available for me to buy, just saying maybe they hit the wrong market/crowd, or maybe it was just when all the markets were crashing. I stopped buying thier dvds before because they quickly turned to junk warps/scratches/defects/etc. Also TV companies stopped making tube tvs and is just more of a reason why I will never go back to dvds.

So people who watch subs don’t have work and personal lives? In what universe does that mean any sense? If watching a 24 minute episode once a week takes up so much time, how are you able to watch dubs with your busy busy schedule?
You really want to vote? Buy similar shows. For example, you want D-Fragments on DVD/Blu-ray, buy Haganai. Get an EVS and watch similar shows. Go on the website and rate similar shows to the ones you want.

Im sure this is going to sound rude and blunt no matter how I put it and I mean no disrespect. I wasnt aiming my comments towards sub only watchers, it was actually aimed at people similar to yourself. Ive seen you and others similar to yourself on facebook for some time now and notice your posting times throughout the entire day, weeks, and months. Your on face book extremely often almost all day, every day with posting times spanning few hours or less. I honestly wish I had your free time, so I could get to watching more shows a bit more often.
Since you asked, I usually watch on holidays, an hour after work, and sick days.

Watching similar shows and rating that show doesnt give me a vote to shows coming out. I do indeed buy similar shows, but that doesnt help me toss a vote in for D-fragments in any way or form. If I had nothing but time on my hands I would actually do what getchman recommended, but I dont have that kinda time. Yes its only 20 minutes for 1 show, but its not 1 show you got to watch theres probably close to 15 or more shows probably between all the companies to figure out what you want. Im a slow forgetful reader who uses the play/pause button for subs. I dont have any super powers and know my limits. If I want to buy things I need to work and not watch. I just want to be able to put a dam vote in if theres a show I want to own/buy.

The gamble is probably about the same either way, because once again funimation doesnt know who thier buyers are from the watchers anyways. Most people who watch things dont go buy the show, they just move to the next one. I just want to be able to put a dam vote in to things I want to buy and im sure there are others that want to do the same.

@Cloud- Not to but in but I see A LOT of people on FB via those fancy little devices known as phone. No not trying to be rude, just saying. I work with a lot of people who despite my yelling at and writing up, are constantly on their phone *FB app* chatting away with the world, about pointless things most likely. So you don’t have to be at home to be on FB. So that statement of yours doesn’t necessarily work about how often people are on the net.

Dragon, your not butting in, nor your not being rude. You made a very good point about the phones and other mobile devices, but if someone uses a mobile device it will say so somehere either next to the time/date stamp or someplace on the post. These people im referring to never have anything indicating a mobile device, so they are indeed at a very stationary device indicating they are most likely at home. Also there is not alot of people using those devices on funimations facebook page, you do indeed see them from time to time, but theres definitly not alot by any means. Just scrolled though the page looking to confirm it. So unless im missing something else my statement kinda does hold up, unless im missing something else.

that ok. dang thing would let me o on so I cut my post short. Well I don’t have a B so I wouldn’t know if it tells you that or not. A FB or me would just be more people sending me junk pics and messages I don’t want. lol

I had asked about the 24 hour thing, so thank you for the detailed response. I appreciate the responsiveness and the transparency. It definitely makes sense to lean heavily on simulcast numbers when time is of the essence. I wonder then what that means for shows like Code Breaker that get licensed for home release down the road. Is it a surge in regular streaming that indicates viability or was it always planned and just only being gotten to now?

Could be. But funi might have been in negotiations with the rights holders on trying to get Code Brreaker for a while. Hard to say. Or they think Code Breaker could be a sure thing and will do well enough to not worry about streaming Numbers.

I really liked the interview and this follow up. Lots of good and specific info. Thank you. I saw the comment about watching on hulu, etc. and noticed crunchyroll wasn’t listed in the answer. Do you get simulcast numbers from crunchyroll on shows simulcast here and there or are they completely separate? Attack on Titan and Nobunagun for example.

Hey Michelle I do have a question about what this means for movie’s released for free streaming ending up on hulu. now I’ve figured that most of the brand new DUB’s released to free streaming takes at least 3 to 3 and a half week’s to premier on hulu (to be cont.)

Except for November’s Venus Versus Virus (DUB/SUB) and this Fridays Ben-To episodes 1-2 which have yet to be uploaded, but in checking the schedule every week I’ve seen that Sakura Wars, Blood-C, Tales Of Vespera, and Fafner Heaven & Earth haven’t shown up on hulu yet either, even thou those last 2 have streamed dub/sub on hulu before

Can I please get a Non stock answer as to when and if any of the shows or movies listed above will be licensed and uploaded to stream on hulu? and I’ve put in 15 tickets through the help questioner since November and I haven’t received one reply yet.

Not that I expect any real confirmation (As that is how marketing and business works) but for askings sake, any chance streaming numbers can revive a release (Such as Case Closed)? Even if it’s just subs?

Of course Hollywood has to follow by the Nielsen ratings system that determines what show stays and what show goes off the air on television which is how networks make money or lose money. That money is used to develop new shows that airs that go on these networks each year and expansion on his networks. What you watch on TV matters a lot because there are some viewers that are clients of the organization. But a lot of people don’t know that the system not only applies to United States but to ma

This premium set was ugly. Looks like a starter box from 2006 not worth the $80 I spent. Its not even as nice as the Lain premium set. Looks cheap no matter how many trinkets you put in it. I just hope the Attack on Titan set is better.

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